1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tape for data storage devices.
2. Background Art
Data storage devices such as data storage tape cartridges, have been employed in the computer, audio, video, and related arts. Data storage tape devices are often employed for recording and storing large quantities of data, such as media, for subsequent access and use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,342 issued to Vanderheyden, et al. on Nov. 28, 2000, and discloses a data storage tape device, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. The data storage tape device is provided with a housing, which contains a pair of tape reels and a length of magnetic storage tape. The storage tape is wrapped around a hub portion of one of the tape reels and is driven through a defined tape path by a driving system. The housing is provided with a cover and a base, with an opening for permitting access to the storage tape by a read/write head of a tape drive. Accordingly, data may be stored upon the media storage tape device by the read/write head of the tape drive and the data storage tape device may subsequently be transferred to a storage location for subsequent retrieval, and further reading and/or writing to the magnetic storage tape.
Alternatively, the prior art has provided single reel devices wherein the magnetic storage tape is stored upon a reel within the device and the tape is partially extracted from the device for reading and/or writing by a read/write head of a tape drive.
The Vanderheyden, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,342 discloses a reinforcing tape reel lock for preventing the associated tape reel (or reels) to freely rotate within the housing. The tape reel lock prevents rotation of the tape reels relative to the housing to prevent the storage tape from becoming loose within the housing, thereby preventing the storage tape from becoming temporarily or permanently displaced from a desired tape path, creasing, or other inadvertent damage to the media storage tape. By preventing such damage to the data storage tape, the data stored upon the tape is thereby preserved.